A contact center is a facility where telephone calls are handled by human operators known as agents, usually with some degree of computer automation. Typically, a contact center has the ability to handle a considerable volume of calls, providing functions such as routing calls to agents, logging calls, recording calls, and so forth. Contact centers are used by many mail-order catalog organizations, telemarketing companies, computer product help desks, government agencies, and large enterprises.
FIG. 1 in the prior art depicts telecommunications system 100, which features a complement of equipment that collectively make up a contact center, labeled as contact center 110. Telecommunications system 100 comprises telecommunications endpoint 102, which is used by caller 101 to originate or receive calls; telecommunications network 103 for transporting those calls; interactive voice response system 104; automated call distributor 105; and telecommunications endpoints 107-1 through 107-M, wherein M is a positive integer. Telecommunications endpoints 107-1 through 107-M are used by contact center agents 108-1 through 108-M, respectively. The depicted elements are interconnected as shown.
In a typical scenario in the prior art, caller 101 dials into contact center 110 and interacts with interactive voice response (IVR) system 104. The caller selects an option to talk with an agent (i.e., one of agents 108-1 through 108-M), and if an agent is available the call is automatically routed to the agent. If all agents are busy, however, Automated Call Distributor (ACD) 105 inserts the call into a queue instead, and the caller is placed “on hold.” Callers on hold are typically played a message such as the following: “All agents are currently assisting other customers. Please stay on the line and the next available agent will take your call. Calls are answered in the order that they are received.”
Telecommunications endpoint 107-1 is typically a special hardphone, in that it is able to communicate agent states to ACD 105. The agent states indicate to the ACD whether agent 108-1, corresponding to endpoint 107-1, is available to handle an incoming call and, if available, how the call is to be delivered to the agent. Typically, the agent signals his state of availability by pressing a button on his hardphone. For example, when the agent becomes available to talk with caller 101, he can signal to ACD 105 that he is available by selecting the “manual-in” button to switch a queued call in manually, or the “auto-in” button to have ACD 105 automatically switch in a queued call. ACD 105 then delivers the call to the endpoint of that agent.
In order to effectively serve the caller's needs, the contact-center agent requires access to newer and newer features. In the prior art, some of these features have been provided by new telecommunications endpoint hardware—for example, with new buttons to indicate selections made by the agent and new displays to present information to the agent. Other features have been provided in the prior art by software upgrades, which require that changes be made to the automatic call distributor or other data-processing systems at the contact center. The upgrade of telephone hardware, of contact center software, or of both can be difficult or impractical, in part because of the cost and effort required to develop and install the software.
Therefore, what is needed is a method to provide enhanced services to contact center agents, without some of the costs and disadvantages in the prior art.